The howler monkey god was a major deity of the arts - including music - and a patron of the artisans among the Classic Mayas, especially of the scribes and sculptors. As such, his sphere of influence overlapped with that of the Tonsured Maize God. The monkey patrons - there are often two of them - have been depicted on Classic vases in the act of writing books (while stereotypically holding an ink nap) and carving human heads. Together, these two activities may have constituted a metaphor for the creation of mankind, with the book containing the birth signs and the head the life principle or 'soul', an interpretation reinforced by the craftsman titles of the creator gods in the Popol Vuh.

Based on its facial features, the stone sculpture of a seated writer found within the House of the Scribes in Copan is often described as a howler monkey. However, it are the two large statues of simian figures shaking rattles (see fig. ), found on both sides of the 'Reviewing Stand' of Copan's temple 11, that approach much more closely the standard representation of this animal in Maya art and in Long Count inscriptions (including the snakes in the corners of the mouth). Variously described as wind gods and comedians, these statues may actually represent howler monkeys in their quality of musicians. A ceramic incense burner modelled like a howler monkey scribe has been found at Post-classic Mayapan. At the time of the Spanish Invasions, the howler monkeys continued to be venerated, although the role they played in mythological narratives diverged. Bartolom'e de las Casas stated that in the Alta Verapaz, Hun-Ahan (probably 'One-Woodcarver') and Hun-Cheven (Hun-Chowen in the Popol Vuh) were counted among the thirteen sons of the upper god, and were celebrated as cosmogonic creator deities.

Among the Quich'e Mayas, they were less positively valued: According to the Popol Vuh, Hun-Chowen and Hun-Batz 'One-Howler Monkey' (both artists and musicians) clashed with their stepbrothers, the Maya Hero Twins, a conflict which led to their humiliating transformation into monkeys. In the mantic calendar, Howler Monkey (Batz), corresponding to Spider Monkey (Ozomatli) in the Aztec system, denotes the 11th day, which is associated with the arts. In the Long Count, the Howler Monkey can personify the day-unit, which connects him to the priestly arts of calendrical reckoning and divination, as well as to ritualistic and historical knowledge.

The Morrigan is a Celtic goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen," and both epithets are entirely appropriate for her. The Morrigan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses.

The Morrigan frequently appears in the ornithological guise of a hooded crow. She is one of the Tuatha D'e Danann ("Tribe of the goddess Danu" or the land of the Faries) and she helped defeat the Firbolg at the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh and the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh. She is often read about in books that are about the Fae.

She appeared to the hero Cu Chulainn (son of the god Lugh) and offered her love to him. When he failed to recognize her and rejected her, she told him that she would hinder him when he was in battle. When Cu Chulainn was eventually killed, she settled on his shoulder in the form of a crow. Cu's misfortune was that he never recognized the feminine power of sovereignty that she offered to him.

She appeared to him on at least four occasions and each time he failed to recognize her.

* When she appeared to him and declared her love for him.

* After he had wounded her, she appeared to him as an old hag and he offered his blessings to her, which caused her to be healed.

* On his way to his final battle, he saw the Washer at the Ford, who declared that she was washing the clothes and arms of Cu Chulainn, who would soon be dead.

* When he was forced by three hags (the Morrigan in her triple aspect) to break a taboo of eating dogflesh"

The Roman god who presides over the storing of grain. Since the grain was stored in holes underneath the Earth, Consus' altar was also placed beneath the Earth near the Circus Maximus. It was uncovered only during the Consualia, his festival on August 21st and December 15th. One of the main events during this festival was a mule race { the mule was his sacred animal }. Also, on this day farm and dray horses were not permitted to work and attended the festivities. He is closely connected with the fertility goddess Ops { also known as Ops Consiva }. Later he was also regarded as god of secret counsels.

Consus' altar was placed beneath the ground (or, according to other sources, simply covered with earth, which was swept off at his festival) near the Circus Maximus in Rome[1]. The altar was unearthed only during the Consualia, his festival which took place on August 21 (and another one on December 15). Mule or horse races were the main event of the festival because the mule and the horse were Consus' sacred animals. Horses and mules were crowned with chaplets of flowers, and forbidden to work.

Consus' name has no certain etymology down to the present time. This name seems to be Etruscan or Sabine in origin. It seems that Consus' name is really related to the one of Ops as Consivia (or Consiva), itself related to "crops, seeding" (Latin conserere ("to sow"); see Ops; Opalia and Opiconsivia). According to Varro (L. I. 6:20), Consualia dicta a Consus ("The Consualia are so named after Consus").

Shortly after his own festivals the ones for Ops, the Opiconsivia or Opalia, were held every August 25 and December 19, these being the periods respectively of the reaping and the seeding of crops.

Consus also became a god associated with secret conferences, perhaps due to a common misinterpretation of his name. The Latins (Romans) associated Consus' name with consilium ("councils, synagogues, assemblies; place where councils assemble"). This word should not be confused with "counsel" ("advice"). It in fact expresses the idea of "sitting together" (consentes), "being together" (con-sum) or perhaps "called together, conclaimed" (con-calare). The connection of Consus with these secret councils is attested by Servius (En. 8:636): Consus autem deus est consiliorum ("Consus is however the god of councils").

As such, it seems that Consus was a member of the council of the Di Consentes ("Council of the Gods") formed by six gods and six goddesses which assembled in order to assist Jupiter in making great decisions such as destroying Troy or Atlantis with a Flood, etc.. This tradition is due to the Etruscans, but is also widely attested in Greece as well, for instance, in Homer.

Consus was often called Neptunus Equestris ("Equestrian Neptune"). So, his connection with the Greek Poseidon (Neptune) can hardly be denied. Poseidon was also associated with horses and horse racing, a connection which is reminiscent of Atlantis (founded by Poseidon) and its magnificent hippodromes described by Plato in his Critias. According to tradition, it was in the course of the Consualia and its horse races that the Romans kidnapped the Sabine women which they married in order to found their own nation

There was a great devotee of Lord Narayana named VishnuChittar or Periyalwar.He has a tulsi garden,he would work very hard to maintain that garden,untill he gets burns on his hands and legs.And would make a tulsi garland and would give to Lord Vishnu at SriVilliputtur.Once he found a child in the garden and named her as godai or Andal.He used to take very much care to the child.She has written Tiruppavai and Naachiyaar Thirumozhi.Daily she would wore the tulsi garland and see how it will looks for Lord Krishna and put the garland in the basket.One day periyalwar saw a single hair of the andal on the garland and found that she has wore the garland and he had not offered the garland to Lord Vishnu.

On that day Lord Vishnu had appeared in the dreams of VishnuChittar and said that the garland wore by andal is most dearest to him. And Lord Ranganather appeared in the dream of VishnuChittar and asked to bring Andal to Sri Ranganather at SriRangam to marry her.And Godess Andal became the wife of Lord Ranganather.

In Germanic, pre-Christian folklore, Hulda, Holle, Holda, and Frau Holle were all names used to denote a single Goddess. Holda was both a light and a dark goddess....which is reflected by Her changing appearance. At time She appears as a beautiful young woman, clothed in a shining white dress while on other occasions, She is seen as a hunchbacked, old crone with long, tangled gray hair and glowing red eyes. The young Holda is invoked to increase fertility and bring prosperity into the home, but when She feels slighted, She becomes the Crone whose gifts are misfortune, illness, and death. It is in this form that She brings the snow and the fog. As the Crone, we find Her riding the winter skies in Her wagon and shaking out Her featherbeds to make the snow fall.

Holda was the protectress and guardian of the woodland animals. She has many totem animals which include wolves, hounds, pigs, horses, and birds of prey with the wolf being one of Her most sacred of beasts. December is Her month, and in Germany, December was well-known as the 'Month of the Wolf' or the 'Wolf Moon' in honor of Her.

She is your typical dark goddess of death, the underworld, and winter. She was the patronness of women who were spinners and weavers, and She punished those who failed at this craft or produced sloppy work. Women would pray to Her for help when spinning. She was a symbol of hard work and and virtue. She promotes the independence of housewives which is probably why She is much maligned today. Her sacred season is between Yule and New Years, and during the 12 days of Yule all spinning ceased in Her honor, and bad luck struck anyone who defied this custom.

You honor Holda anytime you give of yourself in your housework or cooking. Any work around the house can be done in honor of Holda. Take a day between Yule and New Year's to ready your home and prepare for your New Year's Eve celebration. Burn red candles with spicy scents throughout the home. Honor Her on New Year's Day with rest and relaxation.

You know, I have been thinking a lot about Holda, and I wondered as I wrote this if this is where one of my family's traditions came from. After all, my maternal grandad was German. My mother, grandmother, and now myself all believe that if your house isn't clean on New Year's Day and your laundry has not been done, you will be working hard throughout the year...forever cleaning house and doing laundry. So, everything is always completed in my home before the clock strikes midnight.

Shekhinah Mountainwater is a long-time Muse and lover of the Goddess. She offers teachings, rituals, music, writings, runes, tarot, workshops and more to the woman-spirit community. For a catalogue send $1 to Shekhinah Mountainwater, PO Box 2991, Santa Cruz, CA 95063. She is currently working on two books, one of Tarot and one on theololgy, both of which will contain images and discussions of the maiden Goddesses....

A group of sisters in Oregon put on a Goddess gathering one summer, featuring the topic "Is there a fourth aspect to the Goddess?". Hearing about this got me thinking that the answer might be yes, the Dark Maiden.

I first learned about this Goddess from a lover, who used to call me her "dark maiden," and point out the waning crescent in the late night sky.She would explain that there are two crescents and two maidens. The Bright Maiden corresponds to the waxing crescent, curving towards the right. The Dark Maiden corresponds to the waning crescent, curving towards the left.Over the years, I have discovered the beauty of this symbol system and its potential to give healing and enpowerment to women.

We all know about the great triad : Maiden, Mother and Crone. This three fold archetype resonates deeply in our psyches as Begining, Middle and End of all things, and is likely to be with us always. Yet a fourth aspect might appear within the triad -- as well as a fifth or sixth. "When the myths come alive for us they change," says Starhawk. Truly, there are no limits to the Goddess, and all things are possible.

But why the special attention to the Bright and Dark Maidens? For one thing, they make a marvelous all-female alternative to the male-opposite- female symbolism of patriarchy. The Bright Maiden who waxes, moves towards the Light and the Sun. She is the young Goddess who is growing, the Amazon, the woman who takes her powers of freedom, action, strength and independence. She is the risk-taker, the woman who dares. in other words, she is all things our society tells us should be considered "male." Because of our loss of Her image in our psyches, women find themselves accused of becoming "like a man," when they express Her qualities. Known to us as Diana, Artemis, Boudicea, the Amazon Warrior Woman... the Bright Maiden is more familiar to us than the Dark.

The Dark Maiden who wanes, moves towards the Underworld, The Crone. She is associated with aging, descent, introspection and magic. The Dark Maiden is teh enchantress, She Who Pulls. In her positive attributes, She represents some of the lost powers of woman. She surrenders to the flow and pulls, like the pull of the moon, the suction of the undertow. This is the magnetism of magic, our power to draw to us all that we require. Images of the Dark Maiden appear to us as Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, the Mermaid, Sirens, Sorceress.

In patriarchy the Bright and Dark Maidens tend to appear in negative expression, and because of this, our impression of them can become destorted. Patriarchs love to keep our Dark Maidens weak and dependent upon them, and if we decide to act out of our Bright Maiden selves, they insist we do so "like a man." These are some of the reasons why it is so important for us to find woman-identified symbols for these parts of ourselves; Goddesses that are soft and strong, magickal and free -- female expressions of these qualities.

The main thing to remember about the Dark Maiden is that She has the power to Respond. She is the receptive and sensative part of us, which we need for successful magic as well as personal wholeness. She is tender and vulnerable, and it is important to keep our Bright Maiden qualities so we can protect Her. Too many women with Dark Maiden qualities become victims in our society, subject to the will of others. And too many Bright Maidens become cold and hard. Feminist spirituality teaches us that we have been programmed to act out these qualities in ways that men have devised. Liberation lies not in discarding them, but in learning to reclaim them in their older, female expressions.

Inevitably, this process will lead us back to the Three-fold and Five-fold expressions of the Goddess, because they offer flow and continium.They teach us that any one quality when isolated at the expense of the others becomes destructive and limiting. WHile the Bright and Dark Maidens do pair off and become partners, companions and lovers...they can be seen within the larger contexts of Maiden, Mother and Crone, or Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Spirit. Sometimes I picture the two Maidens as Warrior and Priestess within a cycle that includes Mother, Grandmother, and Lover.Sometimes I see them as the Fall and Spring Equinoxes, known to the ancient Greeks as the Anados (Goddess arising) and Kathados (Goddess Descending).Thus we can integrate the duality of our Bright and Dark Maidens into the three-fold, five-fold and eight-fold (the eight holy days of the year) cycles of Life and Being.

This article is but a glimpse into the possibilities. I invite you to search within yourself, in myths and amoung symbols that you know, for signs of the Bright and Dark Maidens.

"MOKOSH IS THE WATER AND EARTH GODDESS OF THE UKRAINE. SHE IS WORSHIPPED IN THE SLAVIC COUNTRIES AS THE GODDESS OF RAIN AND FERTILE SOIL. ACCORDING TO FOLK BELIEF SHE SHEARS SHEEP AND SPINS THREAD. HER NAME IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD COMBINATION "MATY KOTA" WHICH MEANS "MOTHER OF THE CAT," THAT IS, MOTHER OF GOOD FORTUNE. SHE IS THE PROTECTOR OF WOMEN AS WELL AS OCCULT KNOWLEDGE AND DIVINATION. BECAUSE IT IS SHE WHO SUPPLIES THE MEANS FOR SURVIVAL, SHE IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH LIFE AND DEATH MATTERS.

SHE WANDERS AS A MASKED WOMAN AND VISITS HOUSES PERFORMING DOMESTIC DUTIES. AT NIGHT, A PIECE OF HAIR WAS LEFT AS AN OFFERING TO HER. SHE IS USUALLY DEPICTED WITH RAISED HANDS AND FLANKED BY HORSES, STAGS, AND BIRDS. FROM HER BODY GROWS THE "TREE OF LIFE". MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHE BEARS THE ABSTRACT SYMBOL OF THE SUN DISK ON HER FOREHEAD. DURING SPRING FESTIVALS, GIRLS HUNG RITUAL TOWELS ON THE BRANCHES OF BIRCH TREES TO INVOKE THE FERTILITY OF NATURE.

"MOKOSH "IS RELATED TO "HECATE "AND "APHRODITE" IN CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY HER SACRED DAY IS FRIDAY; HER FEAST DAY FALLS BETWEEN OCTOBER 25TH AND NOVEMBER 1ST. AT THIS TIME, SHE IS OFFERED VEGETABLES, A FOCAL POINT OF THE FEAST DAY. HER POPULARITY CONTINUED EVEN AFTER CHRISTIANITY BECAME THE STATE RELIGION, AND ALTHOUGH NO NEW SANCTUARIES HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO HER SINCE THAT TIME, SHE IS STILL VENERATED BY RUSSIAN WOMEN TO THE PRESENT DAY.

In Aztec mythology, the god Nanauatl (or Nanauatzin, the suffix tzin implies respect or familiarity), the most humble of the gods, sacrificed himself in fire so that it would continue to shine on Earth as the sun, thus becoming the sun god. Nanahuatl means "full of sores". In the borgia codex, Nanahuatl is represented as a man emerging form a fire, originally this was interpreted as an illustration of canibalism.

The Aztecs had several different myths about the creation, and nanahualt participate in several. In the legend of Quetzalcoatl, Nanauatl helps Quetzalcoatl to obtain the first grains which will be the food of humankind.

In Aztec mythology, the universe is not permanent or everlasting, but subject to death like any living creature. However, even as it died, the universe would be reborn again into a new age, or "Sun." Nanauatl is best known in the "Legend of the Fifth Sun," recopilated by Sahagun.

In this legend, which is the basis for most nahuatl myths, there has been four creations, in each one, one god has taken the toil of being the sun: Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Tlaloc, and Ehecatl. Each age inevitably ended because the gods were not satisfied with the men they had created. Finally Quetzalcoatl, retrieves the sacred bones of their ancestors, mixed with corn and his own blood, manages to make acceptable human beings. But no other god wants the task of being the sun.

The gods decided that the future and possibly last sun, has to offer his life. Finally, two gods are chosen: Tecciztecatl and Nanauatl, the former because he is wealthy and the latter because he is humble. Tecciztecatl is proud, and sees an opportunity to gain immortality. Nanauatl accepts because he sees becoming the sun as his duty. They are purified. Tecciztecatl offers rich presents, and coral instead of blood. Nanauatl offers his blood, and makes penitence.

The gods make a big fire, which burns for four days. When Tecciztecatl tries to jump into the fire, he is afraid and fails four times, because the heat is so strong. Because of this, the gods ask for Nanauatl. He closes his eyes to control his fear, and jumps. When Tecciztecatl sees that Nanauatl has jumped, he feels wounded in his pride and jumps after him. Nothing happens at first. But eventually two suns appear in the sky. The gods are angry, because Tecciztecatl was still following Nanauatl, and they are glowing exactly the same; so one of the gods takes a rabbit and throws it in the face of Tecciztecatl. He loses his brilliance, and the rabbit is marked on his face. So he became the moon, and the moon still has the mark of a rabbit.

But still, the sun does not move. The gods accept they need to die, so the men can live. The god Ehecatl sacrifices all the gods, and then with a powerful wind makes the sun begin to move.Men need to repay the gods their sacrifice.An important aspect of this legend is the death of the gods. The Aztec gods have no real earthly power, because they are dead, and only exist in the spiritual world, they even have to use a magic mirror made of obsidian to see the world - all of them, except Ehecatl. Ehecatl, the wind, becomes the symbol of the forces of nature: we can't see him, but we can feel his power.

ALEXIRHOE (pronounced ah-leks-IR-oh-ee) is one of the Greek Naiades. The Naiades were generally thought to be daughters of an Okeanid mother (the 3000 daughters of Tethys and Okeanos, Goddesses of fresh water sources) and a Potamoi father (the 3000 sons of Tethys and Okeanos, Gods of the rivers); in Alexirhoe's case, her father was Grenikos, God of the River Grenikos near Troy. By King Priam of Troy, she was the mother of Aisakos, who would later be turned into a bird when he tried to kill himself after losing his love, the nymph Hesperia. Alexirhoe's name, which means "averting flow," is also seen as ALEXIROE or ALEXIRRHOE.

"NYAI LORO KIDUL" IS GODDESS OF THE SOUTH SEAS. SHE LIVES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN OFF THE COAST OF JAVA. SHE RULES OVER A LUXURIOUS UNDERWATER REALM AT THE HEART OF THE SEA WHERE SHE IS ATTENDED TO BY A COURT OF BEAUTIFUL SEA SPIRITS. SHE IS OFTEN DEPICTED AS A MERMAID WITH LONG FLOWING GREEN HAIR WHICH IS FILLED WITH SHELLS AND SEAWEED. SHE IS, INDEED, A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. IT IS SHE WHO CONTROLS THE VIOLENT WAVES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. HENCE, THE JAVANESE PEOPLE NEVER WEAR GREEN WHILE IN THE WATER FOR FEAR OF OFFENDING HER. YOUNG, HANDSOME MEN FEAR FALLING VICTIM TO HER SEDUCTIVE CHARMS FOR IT IS BELIEVED THAT SHE SEEKS THEM TO SERVE IN HER UNDERSEA REALM.

IN ANCIENT TIMES, SHE MAY HAVE BEEN THE MORTAL WIFE OR DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF JAVA, A QUEEN WHO TAUGHT HER HUSBAND HOW TO GAIN THE POWER OF THE SPIRITS SO HE COULD RULE WISELY....AND WHO THEN FELL VICTIM TO SPITE AND JEALOUSY. THE KING'S CONCUBINES, JEALOUS OF HER BEAUTY, USED BLACK MAGIC TO TURN HER INTO AN UGLY HAG, AND, BECAUSE OF HER UGLINESS, ORDERED HER TO LEAVE THE PALACE. FOR A TIME SHE WANDERED AIMLESSLY THROUGH THE FOREST, BUT WHEN SHE CAME TO THE OCEAN, SHE STOPPED TO REST, FALLING ASLEEP. SHE DREAMED THAT SHE WOULD BE CURED OF HER UGLINESS IF SHE THREW HERSELF IN THE WATER AND DROWNED. SHE DID SO AND FROM THEREON, BECAME THE POWERFUL GODDESS OF THE SEA.

TO THIS DAY, THE CULT OF "NYAI LORO KIDUL" IN CENTRAL JAVA IDENTIFIES THAT SEA GODDESS AS THE BEING WHO PERIODICALLY SNATCHES UNSUSPECTING MALE BATHERS FROM THE SHORE. FISHERMAN ASK HER PERMISSION BEFORE SAILING THE SEAS THAT SHE RULES, AND FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN HARM. DEVOTEES GATHER ON HER SHORES ON THURSDAY EVENINGS TO SEEK GUIDANCE, OFFER PETITIONS, AND REQUEST PROPHETIC DREAMS.

THE ANCIENT PERUVIANS WORSHIPPED THE SEA AS WELL AS THE EARTH...THE INLAND FOLK REGARDING IT AS A MENACING DEITY WHILE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ALONG THE COAST REGARDED IT AS BENEVOLENT. SHE WAS KNOWN AS "MAMACOCHA" OR AT OTHER TIMES, " COCHAMAMA"; SHE WAS THE "INCAN" GODDESS OF THE SEA AND THE PROTECTOR OF FISHERMAN AND SAILORS. SHE WAS BELIEVED TO BE A DESCENDANT OF THE MOON. HER NAME LITERALLY MEANS "MOTHER SEA."

IT WAS FROM "MAMACOCHA" THAT EVERYTHING CAME TO BE... INCLUDING THE ANIMALS AND THE INDIANS THEMSELVES; SHE WAS THE GREAT MOTHER OF ALL MANKIND. IN GENERAL, SHE WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE FISHING GROUPS WHO RESIDED NEAR THE OCEAN BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSENESS TO THE WATERS AND DEPENDENCE UPON THE SEA FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD. TO SOME TRIBES, SHE WAS THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF ALL WATER...INCLUDING RIVERS, STREAMS, IRRIGATION WATER,AND RAIN. SHE IS A SOURCE OF HEALTH AND PROVIDER OF FOOD. SHE IS SOMETIMES SHOWN AS A WHALE GODDESS.

THE INCA REVERED THE PACIFIC OCEAN AS A GODDESS, AND EVEN THOSE WHO LIVED IN THE ANDEAN HIGHLANDS BROUGHT THEIR CHILDREN TO BATHE IN THE OCEAN...THUS ENSURING THEIR WELL-BEING WITH "MAMACOCHA." IN PERU, WATER

WAS REVERED THROUGHOUT THE LAND... RIVERS AND CANALS, FOUNTAINS AND WELLS... AND MANY SACRIFICES WERE MADE TO THEM, ESPECIALLY OF CERTAIN SEASHELLS WHICH WERE THOUGHT TO BE "THE DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA, THE MOTHER OF ALL WATERS." THE TRADITIONS OF THE INCAS POINT TO AN ORIGIN FROM LAKE TITICACA, AND OTHER TRIBES FABLED THEIR DESCENT FROM FOUNTAINS AND STREAMS

Mexitli was a legendary great leader and war god of the Aztecs (before they became known as the Mexica, possibly in his honour) during the wandering years. The name derives from the Nahuatl metztli (the moon) and xictli (navel) and thus means "navel (probably implying 'child') of the moon".

MAWU is the Fon Goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Nana Buluku and twin sister and wife of Lisa, the God of the sun. Mawu and Lisa are inseparable, a single body with two faces. Mawu is the female face and she rules the night. Lisa is the male face and he rules the day. Mawu and Lisa had fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, and they divided the responsibilities of the world among them. Mawu is also the Goddess of motherhood, since it was she that created the first humans out of clay, and she gives humans their souls.

Freya had two jobs. She was the goddess of love and the goddess of war. She was the daughter of Njord, and the sister of Frey. She had a husband named Od. Somehow she lost him and got so upset that she cried golden tears which fell to the earth as amber. She had a chariot was pulled by cats and she owned the precious necklace called Brisingamen. She also had a feather coat which she used to fly between the worlds. Some say that Friday is named after her and Frey and Frigga.

I am Freya, great queen of the northern people
I am mother and lover and ruler
I am the mistress of magic
I am the goddess of the full and shining moon
At this season of Yule I am full of light
Filled with the child of promise
As you see me shining full and radiant, see yourself
For you are also filled with light
As I cradle deep the child of promise
I must nurture myself completely
Feed my soul and my body and my mind
The most precious things
For I have a deep binding obligation to myself
And to the light which grows within me
I feel my body swell to fullness and
I know the time is now
Birth holds both joy and pain
There is ripping and giving way
For the new life to spring forth
Have you felt my pain
Open yourself and let the miracle occur
The babe is born
When I look upon the child of light
I see I have given birth to myself
And that I have given birth to you
We are the light and
We have returned to the world
I welcome you my children
For the child of light
The child of promise
Is indeed ourselves
Let us bless and honor the child
Nurture it and it shall grow strong
For now it has a life of its own
I have held you in my belly and
Given you the gift of life
I gift you with your body and mind and spirit
I gift you with that special quality
That is yours alone
I gift you with the blessings of the world
I gift you with the powers of magick
And the magick of rebirth
What will you make of my gifts?
What will you give me in return?
Do you honor me with your accomplishments?
Your loving nature?
Do you honor me by honoring the earth?
By adoring the moon and sun
And all of creation?
I charge you to go out into the world and
Make me proud of you
For to do otherwise is a disservice
To me and to yourself

SARAMA is the Vedic Goddess of intuition and dogs. She serves as a messenger for Indra, Lord of the Gods, and is the mother of the Sarameyas, two dogs who served Yama, God of death. Sarama was the only one able to find the sacred cows that had been stolen from the Angirasas, the fire priests, by following the path of truth, guided by her intuition. Sarama's name means "the fleet one," and she was also called DEVASHUNI (divine bitch) and the HOUND OF HEAVEN.

ON THIS DAY EACH YEAR IN ANCIENT ROME, A FESTIVAL WAS HELD HONORING "DIANA "OF THE "WILD WOOD"; SHE HAS BEEN CALLED THE "QUEEN OF WILD BEASTS". "DIANA "WAS ESSENTIALLY A WOODLAND GODDESS AND ALL WILD NATURE WAS HER DOMAIN, ESPECIALLY THE FORESTS WHICH ARE THE HAUNTS OF THE WILD ANIMALS. THE CREATURES THERE ARE UNDER HER PROTECTION, AND SHE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO TAKE CRUEL VENGEANCE ON ANYONE WHO OFFENDS AGAINST HER FOREST LAW.

"DIANA "WAS THE MOTHER OF ALL. HER DOMAIN IS NATURAL LIFE, FROM BIRTH AND REPRODUCTION TO DEATH; HER POWER IS THAT OF THE WILD BEASTS. AS A FERTILITY DEITY, SHE IS INVOKED BY WOMEN TO AID IN CONCEPTION AND DELIVERY. AND, ALTHOUGH SHE HAD NEVER ORIGINALLY BEEN CONNECTED TO THE "MOON", UPON THE ABSORPTION OF ARTEMIS' TRAITS, SHE EVENTUALLY BECAME A "MOON "GODDESS. HER SACRED ANIMALS ARE THE DOG AND THE STAG.

THE EVENING CELEBRATIONS WERE DEDICATED TO "DIANA" AND "PROSPERINA" AND TO THE "THREE FATES," WHO WERE HONORED WITH NIGHTTIME HEALING CEREMONIES. THE PEOPLE WERE PROVIDED WITH WHEAT, BARLEY, AND BEANS WHICH THEY THEN OFFERED TO THE FATES. ALL KINDS OF GAMES AND CONTESTS WERE CELEBRATED IN THE CITY DURING THIS FESTIVAL.

In Sumerian mythology, Nanshe was the daughter of Enki (her father) and Ninhursag (her mother). Her functions as a goddess were varied. She was a goddess of social justice, prophecy, fertility and fishing. Like her father, she was heavily associated with water. She held dominion over the Persian Gulf and all the animals within. Her seat of power was the Sirara temple, located in the city of Nina.

"AKEWA" IS THE SUN GODDESS OF THE "TOBA" PEOPLE OF ARGENTINA. SHE IS SAID TO BE THE SISTER OF ALL MORTAL WOMEN FOR ONCE, LIKE HER, THEY WERE RADIANT AND SHINING.

ACCORDING TO AN ANCIENT TALE, THERE WAS ONCE A TIME WHEN THE SKY WAS FILLED WITH RADIANT BEINGS, THE "SUN WOMEN". ONE DAY, THE "SUN WOMEN" GREW CURIOUS ABOUT THE MALE CREATURES WHO LIVED ON EARTH SO THEY DESCENDED BY ROPE TO THE SURFACE, AND ONCE THERE, THEY WERE CAPTURED.

ONLY" AKEW"A HAD REMAINED IN THE SKY, AND SHE BECAME THE SUN GODDESS. IN WINTER, SHE BEGINS HER DAILY WALK ACROSS THE HORIZON AND CLIMBS HIGH ACROSS THE SKY. SHE IS PORTRAYED AS YOUNG AND LIVELY WHEN THE DAYS ARE SHORT, OLD AND WALKING WITH A CANE WHEN THE DAYS ARE LONG, AND THEN YOUNG AGAIN AS THE DAYS GROW SHORTER.

KAPO is the Hawaiian Goddess of magic. She is the sister of Pele, Goddess of volcanoes, and mother of Laka, Goddess of the hula. Kapo was able to change her shape at will, but she is mostly known for another talent--she was able to detach her vagina from her body and send it where she liked. One time, she used her "kohe lele" (flying vagina) to save her sister Pele from being raped. Pele, wandering near her home at Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island, was being stalked by Kamapua'a, a God who was half man and half pig. Just as he was about to force himself on Pele, Kapo sensed her sister's plight and threw her vagina past Kamapua'a's face. He immediately forgot about Pele and started to chase Kapo's vagina, following it all the way to the island of Oahu where it landed, forming the Koholepelepe Crater (more commonly known as Koko Crater) next to Hanauma Bay. The kohe lele then returned itself to Kapo, leaving Kamapua'a alone on the rocks. Kapo's name, which means "darkness," is also seen as KAPO-'ULA-KINA'U (red-spotted Kapo), KAPO-KOHE-LELE (Kapo of the flying vagina), and KAPO-MA'I-LELE (Kapo of the flying genitals).

VENUS IS THE ROMAN GODDESS OF LOVE, BEAUTY, AND FERTILITY. SHE IS ALSO THE GODDESS OF HERBS, STRAWBERRIES AND CYPRESS TREES. HER SYMBOL IS A HAND MIRROR. SHE WAS REVERED AS THE ANCESTOR OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE. IT IS SAID THAT VENUS IS SYNONYMOUS TO THE GREEK GODDESS, APHRODITE, AND ALTHOUGH THE TWO SHARE SOME COMMON HISTORY, THE ATTRIBUTES OF VENUS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT THAN THOSE OF APHRODITE. FOR ONE THING, APHRODITE WAS KNOWN TO BE QUITE LIBERAL IN THE MATTERS OF LOVE AND SEXUALITY, BUT VENUS, WHO, YES, DID HAVE SEVERAL AFFAIRS, WAS MORE REVERED AS A GODDESS OF CHASTITY. IN FACT, VENUS TAKES A MORE MATURE ROLE AND IS WORSHIPPED AS A MOTHER GODDESS, WHILE APHRODITE IS THE MAIDEN. VENUS WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN THE PARTNER OF MARS, THE GOD OF WAR...AND THE MOTHER OF AENEAS, THE FOUNDER OF ROME. IT IS SAID THAT VENUS DISPELS TROUBLES AND TURMOIL WHILE GIFTING HER DEVOTEES WITH HAPPINESS AND JOY. SHE IS THE PATRONESS OF PROSTITUTES AND HEALS SEXUAL ISSUES ON THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL LEVEL. HER COLOR IS GREEN; HER JEWEL IS THE EMERALD.

The name of the Goddess Venus has also been given to the second planet from the Sun. This association may have been made because of the brilliant appearance of the planet which is among the most beautiful of the Celestial objects. Ironically,even though She is beloved by the Romans who saw Venus as the planet of love and adorned Her with roses, the Mayans and the Aztecs of America saw the planet Venus differently; indeed, they connected Her with violence. They believed that when Venus goes retrograde, She turns into a man, gets seduced by the goddess of love, and fathers a sea monster as a child. Then, the story goes, because he lost in a ritual game, he must be sacrificed by the sun. Afterwards, he is reborn again as a She. (I know, pretty confusing, but Mesoamerican astrology is fascinating). This same sequence was mirrored by the Mesoamericans through real life completion, warfare, and human blood sacrifices which led to fertility rites.

GILTINE (pronounced GIL-tea-nay) is the Lithuanian Goddess of death. Her name derives from a word which means both "yellow" and "stinging", and it is said that she has a poisonous tongue. She collects the poison from graveyards, and then uses it to lick those whose death is imminent. She is also known to strangle her victims. Giltine is usually shown as tall and thin, dressed in white, and with her tongue sticking out.

The Zoryas are Slavic Goddesses of dawn and dusk, who guard the universe from destruction. They watch over the doomsday God, in the form of a dog who is chained to the star Polaris in the constellation Ursa Minor. If the dog ever breaks free, he will eat the constellation and the universe will be destroyed.

There is some controversy over whether there are two or three Zoryas. ZORYA UTRENNYAYA ("Aurora of the Morning") is the Morning Star. Every morning she opens the gates of the eastern palace of her father Dazhdbog, the sun God, so that his horses may pull his chariot across the sky. She is also known as ZVEZDA DANICA, ZVEZDA DENNITSA, ZWEZDA DNIECA, or ZVEZDA ZORNITSA (Zvezda means "star").

ZORYA VECHERNYAYA ("Aurora of the Evening") is the Evening Star. She closes the gates again in the evening when Dazhdbog returns home. She is also known as VECERNJA ZVEZDA, ZVEZDA VECHERNAYA, ZWEZDA WIECZONIAIA, ZWEZDA WIECZERNICA, or ZVEZDA VECHERNITSA.

Some versions include a Midnight Star, Zorya Polunochnaya, but, as Polunocnica or Lady Midnight, she has a counterpart named Poludnica or Lady Midday. This fits better with the dual nature of many of the Slavic deities, such as Dolya and Nedolya.

ARTEMIS (DIANA) - Daughter of Zeusand Leto. The huntress, she is seen as the forever young goddess. She is proud ofher shapeliness and keeps her virginity to protect it. She was a warrior,joining Apollo to kill Python and other exploits. Anyone who offended her or tried to win her virginity paid dearly. They werekilled, transformed, or mutilated. She defended modesty and punished illicit love and excesses. She avenged rape. She also took out her anger on those virgins who gave in to love. She did not mind marriage, but when a virgin married she was to give up all the things of childhood, toys and dolls, locks of hair, etc., leaving them on her altar.

APHRODITE (VENUS) - Daughter of Zeus and Dione according to Homer. 'The Woman Born Of The Waves' according to Hesiod, born of the foam impregnated by the sexual organs ofUranus, which Cronos (Saturn) had severed and thrown into the sea. Plato identifies these as two separate Aphrodites. One Urania, the daughter of Uranus was goddess ofpure love.The other, called Pandemos, (Root of pandemonium?) was the Goddessof'common'love. She married Hephaestus, but was unfaithful with Aries.

Aries was caught and humiliated. Aphrodite fled in shame to Cyprus, and there took Thrace as lover, resulting in the birth of Eros (Love), Anteros (Love in return), Deimos and Phobos (Terror and Fear). She also was a lover ofAdonis, a human shepherd named Anchises who fathered Aneas, of Hermes and of Dionysus who fathered Priapus. She was known for jealousy. She made Eos (Dawn) fall in love with Orion in spite for her seduction of Aries. She punished all who did not succumb to her.A beauty competition between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was proposed by Eris (Discord) with the prize being a golden apple. It was judged by thehuman Paris. All the Goddesses offered him bribes to win.

Aphrodite offered Helen, most beautiful of all Humans. She won and thus caused the Trojan War. Eros was the primordial god of instinct. When Aphrodite appearedhe adapted himself and joined forces withher. At this time the sexes became distinct. Aphrodite's kingdom was the place of desire. Young girls were said to pass from the place of Artemis (chastity and games) to the place of Aphrodite, where they become women. Considered by some to be an affliction or madness that women must bear. She represents female lust and passion, and demonstrates its potential for destructive effect. Young girls gave their virginity to the Goddess by living in her temples and offering themselves to passing strangers.

ATHENA (MINERVA) - Daughter ofZeus and Metis. Metis wasswallowed by Zeus, and when it was time for Diana's birth, he had Hephaestus crack open his skull and she came forth in full armor shouting a war cry. Also a virgin Goddess, she lived among men without fear due to her warrior's skills. She was the protectress of Odysseus and other men. She was a warrior who used strategy, ambush, cunning, and magic rather than brute force. Her shield bore the head of a gorgon and sheparalyzed her adversaries and made her companions invincible. She was againstexcess, both in war and every day life. She taught men to control their savagery and to tame nature. Was the initiator ofall skills. Taught Pandora to weave, trainedhorses and invented the chariot. She was the patroness of blacksmiths andcarpenters. She built the first ship and the boat of the Argonauts.

CYBELE - Was born as Agditis, a hermaphrodite monster, from a stone fertilized by Zeus. The Gods decided to mutilate him and made the Goddess Cybelefrom him. Her love for Attis, a human shepherd, drove him insane and he castrated himself for her. Her priests were eunuchs dressed as women. It is from the temple of Cybele that the reference in the Wiccan Charge of the Goddess to "At mine Altars, the youths ofLacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.", comes.

DEMETER (CERES) - Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, the Goddess of corn and grain. Demeter bore Persephone. She renounced her duties as goddess and began a fast and went into exile from Olympos when her daughter was abducted into the underworld until her daughter should be returned to her. She caused the spread of the knowledge of the cultivation of corn.

During her exile the earth became barren until Zeus demanded that Hades return Persephone. She had eaten from a pomegranate, however, and was forever bound to the underworld. As a compromise, she was allowed to rise up into the world with the first growth of spring and return to the underworld at seed sowing in fall. And so the Earth is barren in the winter, while Demeter mourns, and becomes fruitful again when Persephone is released. Demeter made herself known to the children of Eleusis, who raised her a temple and instituted the Eleusinian mysteries. In Sept.-Oct., the candidates for initiation purified themselves in the sea, then processed down the sacred path from Athens to Eleusis. The rites remain secret, but involve asearch for a mill for grinding corn, and a spiritual experience. During the rites, men women and slaves were all treated as equal.

ERINYES, THE - Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaara. They were born from drops of blood that fell from Uranus's severed Penis, and did not recognize the authority ofthe gods ofOlympos. They hounded and tortured their victims, driving them mad. Also called the Eumenides, The Good Ones, to divert their wrath. Assimilated by the Romans as the Furies. They were implacable and demanded punishment for every murder. To them murder was a stain. The murderer had to be banished and driven mad before purification could occur. They were blind and carried out their punishments indefinitely.

HERA (JUNO) - Daughter ofCronos (Saturn) and Rhea brought up by Oceanusand Tethys. Married Zeus. It was claimed that each year Hera regained her virginity by bathing in the spring ofCanathus. According to some traditions Hephaestus, Aries, and Hebe (Youth) were conceived by her alone without male assistance. As Zeus' legitimate wife, her fury at his infidelities was boundless, and she took vengeance on his lovers and any progeny ofthe affair without distinction. Zeus wasoften reduced to hiding or disguising his children to protect them.

HARPIES - Greek genii/spirits - Daughters ofThaumes andElectra: Nicotho or swift-footed, Ocypete or swift of flight, and Celaeno, the dark one. Were either women with wings or birds with the heads ofwomen. Called the 'hounds ofZeus' and seized children and souls. Skillful at torture, they could pester a victim into madness.

HESTIA/VESTA - Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. Goddess of the hearth,she had the privilege of retaining her virginity forever. Her symbol was the fire, which was never allowed to go out. The young bride and newborn child were presented to her and she was invoked before each meal. Her temple in Rome was served by the young vestal virgins.

MUSES - Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). Calliope ruled epic poetry, Clio ruled history, Polyhymnia mime, Euterpe the flute, Terpsichore dance, Erarto lyric art, Melpomene tragedy, Thalia comedy andUrania astronomy. They delighted the Gods and inspired poets. The Muses created what they sang about. By praising the gods, they completed their glory, by boasting of valiant warriors, they wrote their names in history. They were celebrated by the Pythagoreans as the keepers of the knowledge of harmony.

MOERAE (PARCAE) - The Three Fates. Atropos, Clotho, Lachesis, daughters ofZeus and Themis. The first spins a thread symbolizing birth. The second unravels it, symbolizing life's processes, andthe third cuts it, symbolizing death. They too were blind and ruled destiny. They were also symbols of a limit which could not beoverstepped. Were connected to their sisters, the furies, who punished crime.

NYMPHS -Daughter ofZeus and usually part of a greater god(esses) entourage. Not immortal, though long lived. Mostly lived in caves. Were dark powers whose beauty alone could lead to madness. Were seducers of many of the gods. Were considered secondary deities.

NEMESIS -Daughter and Night. Ruled over the distribution of wealth, looked after balance, took revenge on arrogance and punished excess, including excessive happiness, riches and power. Moderation in all things was her creed.

THETIS - Daughter of the old man of the sea. Very beautiful. Mother of Achilles.Saved Zeus from a plot to overthrow him and was an ally ofHera. Saved the Argonauts as they passed between the clashing rocks.